Don't Look at Me Like That, Sesshomaru
by Cracked Sapphire
Summary: A young killer sent to take out the lord of the west. Is it even possible?
1. Chapter 1

500 years before our time, way back in Feudal Japan, power was a must. Assassins and warlords thrived since the path to power and conquest was layered in blood and lust. Demons lived amongst men with no need to hide their powers and often joined in the bloodshed. In your case you live to kill. You are the demoness that never fails to eliminate her target.

But the only way to understand how a beautiful girl of your caliber could become such a cold and ruthless killer you must start at the very beginning...

One frozen evening in the dead of winter cries of a new born demon flooded the Northern Lord's Palace. Inside of the Birthing Chamber the father holds his baby girl while the mother rests her exhausted body. The Lord's gentle rocking lull's the baby's cries. He whispers with a reassuring smile, "My little Syuri..."

He opened the rice paper doors to the snow covered garden and danced along the frozen pathways with his child in his arms, smiling along with him. Syuri began to cry and just as suddenly the servant Yoko appeared. She bowed and spoke, "My Lord! An intruder is in the Birthing Chamber!"

The Northern Lord yielded his child to the nurse maid with a painful expression on his face and dashed in side with Yoko following. In the Chamber a stranger reeking of booze and human body odor was standing over the Lady of the North. She was bleeding immensely from a stab wound to the chest.

"Nice of you to join us, Akira-sama." The strange man spoke as if he owned the Palace. The Lord looked him up and down before speaking, "What do you want, human."

The drunken man stumbled dangerously close to the demon Lord.

"Truly, I want you deader than your wench over there." He motioned to the silent Lady, still snuggled in her birthing blankets. Her eyes stared into nothing. The lord felt his heart breaking. Simply crumbling like century old cement.

"What a fool." The Lord glared at the mindless intruder while his little Syuri cried in Yoko's arms. The Lord was so angered now that you could easily **feel** the heat of his rage. The Lord grabbed the back of the stranger's neck with lightning speed and literally threw the drunken bastard into the garden. The Lord stalked outside slamming the doors shut behind him. Human blood splattered onto the papered doors as the baby cried once more.

You were born on that eventful night as Namiko Syuri. You father, Namiko Akira, was a full-blooded Neko youkai and Lord of the Northern Lands. His mate and your late mother, Namiko Kannamaru, was a full-blooded Inu youkai. She was buried underneath the Holy Sakura tree in the same gardens were you danced with your father in the snow. Ever since Kannamaru was murdered Akira has never been the same. He became ruthless in his training of you. He would scream out, "You must learn to protect yourself!"

He instructed you on how to use your powers and the elements around you. He even instructed you on how to control the colors of your eyes. In no time at all you learned to be as cold and merciless as he was. Then, when you were 19 you snuck out each night to start a career as a killer for higher.

And now it begins...

You felt a servant nudging you awake.

"Young Syuri, wake up!" The voice annoyed you. It wasn't Yoko. This voice was young and slightly more high-pitched. You had your back to her and couldn't see her face, but the scent was familiar. You growled letting the servant know you were awake and to stop nudging you. You let the dagger you were grasping slide back into its hiding place underneath your pillow and sat up in your futon. You still had the night kimono on that you went to bed in the previous evening so the servant began laying out you kimono for the day. You ignored her. Her name was Ki- something and she had a horrible attitude. _Prehaps I should teach her a lesson on respect she wont be so quick to forget…_ You rubbed your eyes and groggily trudged into your bath house. You kneeled down on the stones by the steaming hot spring to splash some water onto your face. You tried to keep your mind from wandering into despair. You sighed and growled at the same time before slapping your reflection in the water. Today was your birthday and the anniversary of your mother's death. _How dare I let such foolish emotions cloud my mind..._ But you still tried your hardest to remember anything at all about your late mother, and as usual nothing came to mind. _Father loved her so much. I just wish I could have seen her, even touched her…_You stood up and stared down at the clear water coursing through the spring. _They said I look just like her. Like looking in a mirror, supposedly._ You sighed and walked back into your room, sitting down at the vanity. You rested your elbows on the marble counter top and looked at your reflection in the mirror. You could see why people were envious of you. In the mirror aquamarine eye stared back from a blank face. Your cheeks have two black stripes on each, and it was all topped off with full lips of frosted rose. Your dark jet black hair was wild from running around last night. The shadowy locks cascaded down and come to an end at your hips. Your skin was of a creamy white and had no flaws. Yes, you're a mystery of magic. You caught a glimpse of the servant girl leaving your room so you went to the bench at the end of your bed and looked down at one of your favorite kimonos. It was of a dark crimson and trimmed with gold. It was a gift sent from one of the other lords. Meant to be a peace offering and an old birthday present. The inspiringly beautiful phoenix stitched into the silk would set fire to anyone's imagination. It was your own portable work of art. You dressed your self and sat back down at the vanity. You applied the rose oil you use as a perfume so that the others cannot smell your contuniously spiking emotions. It wasn't a daily think, but on this day it was surely a must. Finally your den motherly Yoko came through the rice paper door to your room. She stood behind you, looking at you through the mirror, and smiled with her aging face. She came to fix your hair. This was a tradition for the two of you. Each year on your birthday she would comb the knots out of your long hair and then positions a black Inu youkai hair ornament in the darkness of your locks. You had the ornament made years ago out of onyx and rubies set in silver. All in all it was to represent and show respect for your deceased mother. _I wish I could have known what she was like..._ Yoko pulled some of the hair around your face and pinned it back with the ornament.

"Your father wishes to speak with you in his study." She said through her tender smile. She patted you on the shoulder and left you sitting in your room alone. _Great..._ You could already guess why your father asked to see you. He keeps trying to get you to marry a wealthy Lord so he can inherit more lands. In fact just last week he conned the soon-to-be-Lord of the East to ask for your hand in marriage. You turned him down flat after spitting fire at his face. _Marriage will only slow me down. Especially an arranged one..._ But he was, after all, your father so you grab your katana, Samara, and strapped it to you while you exited into the vast hallway. The entire sword was constructed by Totosai, the master craftsman, and an old friend of your father's. The sword's sheath was coated in a rich black lacquer. The hilt was black, too and was imbedded with rubies, onyx, and crystals. The blade was made of unbreakable diamond from the heart of the Sacred Mountain, and etched with sacred spells. Indeed, Samara was a very unique and deadly blade. As you walked down the halls the only sound that could be heard was the swishing of your kimono and the soft patting of your bare feet. You never wore shoes unless it was a special occasion, since the pads on your feet were stronger than a humans'. Your mind traveled to last night. You had struck a deal of a lifetime with a wind sorceress to kill the Lord of the West. The only problem is that you had no idea how to get close enough to kill him. He was a notorious killer and had a reputation for acting like and ice icicle was perminantly lodged in his royal ass. _Getting close to him will require time. Lots of time._ This bothered you. You felt the familiar sensation of your eye color changing. You let it go this time. You were lost in thought so you knew they were a swirling sapphire blue. You found yourself at the door to your father's study quicker than you could have hoped for. You paused with your hand on the doorknob to listen to the voices on the other side of the fortified oak door. You heard two distinctly different voices. One, of course, was your father's but the other's- well the others was deep and smoother than any silk. It wasn't the voice of anyone familiar. You looked down at your clawed hand on the doorknob and changed your eyes back to the passive aqua you're so accustomed to. You twisted the knob and the voices stopped abruptly. When you pushed the door open your father rushes you into the room with tall silver hair stranger. You had a habit of showing absolutely no emotion and he seemed to be that way as well. The first thing he appeared notice was that you haven't bowed. His golden eyes just narrowed.

"Sesshomaru-sama, this is my only daughter Syuri." You father introduced you. You hid your shock well. _Shit! My target is in __**my**__ house!_


	2. Chapter 2

Your father's voice ruptured your train of thought.

"Lord Sesshomaru will be our guest until we're through discussing our alliances." He chirped out to you. He seemed to be hiding something but his peculiar behavior was aimed at Sesshomaru and not you. _Maybe I could use this to my advantage... Yes- I'll scout out his weaknesses..._ You flashed a smile. Everybody that knows you knows that when you smile it never meant anything good. Sesshomaru cleared his throat. He seemed to be staring at you with curiosity. You couldn't deny that he was attractive. He was handsome, strong, and mysterious- everything you wanted in a man. Except one crucial point: You're getting paid to kill him! _Never will I let such human emotions hold me back from doing my job. If he lives then I'll be out of work! If nobody hires me then what am I going to do with myself?_ You felt your eyes changing, feeling the scalding red of anger bubbling to the surface, but suppressed them before they completely turned. You caught Sesshomaru's eyes once more when your dad started talking again. _Oh shit! Did he see? Damn these betraying eyes! Why did Mother gift them to __**me**__?_

"I'm sure you're tired from your trip Sesshomaru-sama. Syuri shall escort you to where you'll be staying." He smiled at the two of you before giving you a look that said 'behave like a lady, for once'. You turned on your heal towards the hall you walked through to get to the luxurious study. You looked over your shoulder at the 'visitor' and told him to follow you. The guest room was next to your room _Oh how convenient… _so you took him the same way you came down moments ago. You sensed his gaze on you and smirked inwardly, _This is going to be too easy... I'll eliminate him in no time if he develops feelings for me- or my body..._ (easier said than done...) Then he quickened his pace so that he was walking next to you. You watched him out of the corner of your eyes. He occasionally glanced at you then down the hall at the up coming staircase. A sort of tension hung in the air as the both of you searched for something to say. Then his words traveled the silent halls to your sensitive pointed ears, "Onna, your eyes change colors, do they not?"

He stopped glancing at you so he missed the sudden change in attitude. _**'Onna!**__ How dare he not use my name! Aww crap he did see._ He stopped seconds after you and turned to look at your blank face.

"I have a name. It would serve you well to use it." You growled out, letting your eyes slip into a fierce, burning red. A color so rich and vibrant it could've be plucked right off your beautiful phoenix kimono. He stepped up in front of you with an in-your-face attitude and hissed, "How dare you speak to me in such a way!"

He brought his right hand up to slap you but you grabbed his wrist and held it down. Your vice like grip on his appendage only tightened as the anger inside was fan to new heights by his aggressive action. He stood rigid in front of you and you awaited his attempt to hit you with his left hand, but he just glared at you with such intensity. You didn't bother to stop your eyes from turning into a quizzical violet and asked venemously, "Why not strike me with your left? Is something the matter my dear Lord?"

He growled at you and yanked his hand away from your slackened grasp.

"It's no concern to you." He bit back, trying to pass that off as an answer to your question. _Of course! He has no left arm. I thought I sensed something weird about him..._ You looked away and sighed, forcing your eyes into aqua once more. You started walking again and he stayed beside you. You walked for sometime with him glaring in front of himself. The servants fled from his angered stare. Or perhaps it was the sight of two enraged demons with their hands on deadly weapons…

"I meant no ill will, you know." You suddenly blurted out, focused intently on the hardwood floor at your feet. His dark glare turned to your softened features. He saw something in your face, it seemed, and relaxed into his emotionless composer. He sort of grunted in a response. You were already going up the third staircase and were coming up to the guest room.

"My room is next to the room you'll be staying in, so we'll be sharing the same bath house. Its rather extravagant. Help yourself to anything you desire. Be sure you knock before you enter." You instructed him before you slid the door to his room open, signaling for him to enter. He did, albeit reluctantly, and you heard a squeaky-voiced imp welcoming him. _Must be one of his servants...How can he stomach that voice?_ You closed the door to his room, mainly to block out the noises that the imp was making, and walked into your room. It was dark outside already and the servants had already lit the candles in your room. You forgot to inform him that you two share a balcony as well. _Ohh well. He'll figure it out... eventually._ You walked over to the vanity once more and took down your hair, placing the ornament down on the marble counter top. You could smell his musky scent and it taunted you. You felt your inner demon wiggle inside. Your father, nor anybody else in the palace, knew of your late night killings, so you couldn't spill any blood for profit inside the grounds. It would most definitely not end well if your father had found out that you were risking your neck almost every for money that you didn't even need. You untied Samara, your katana, and laid it down on the counter next to your hair charm. _Its never been about the money. The kill was the only thing that sated the inner demon anymore._ You ran your delicately thin fingers over Samara's smooth sheath. Somehow it comforted you to touch the magic blade. You loosened the silk sash around your waist in order to relax more. Since you loosened the tie your kimono fell open slightly. Your stomach was now exposed and able to breath but you were still covered incase somebody came into your room. Which wasn't unheard of especially with the mood Father is in with guests in the house. _Damn Match Maker wanna be._ New thoughts finally dripped into your mind, _The sky should be clear tonight. I don't smell the mist of the clouds... Then again I can't smell much more than __**his**__ scent._ You growled at yourself for letting your mind circle back to Sesshomaru. _Arrogant bastard. _You walked over to the balcony entrance and pulled back the heavy cloth that shielded your room from the bitter cold. The floor texture changed from the warm hard woods of your room to the smoothed but frozen floor, similar to the bath house floor, sheets of dark stone neatly placed together. You concealed your scent so you could be left in peace. Usually the servant in charge of dinner's announcement, Tai, would be pestering the shit out of you any moment now. You slumped down into a pile of silk pillows you brought out here years ago and stared up pensively at the waxing moon. At the new moon you would be in heat, as with most demons, and you hoped that Sesshomaru wouldn't be around to try and take advantage of your time of weakness. Nobody could **make** you do anything unless you allowed it, but he was definitely something her demon would love to try. You couldn't keep your mind off of your encounter with Sesshomaru in the hallway, either. _I could fix his arm. In fact the herbs for the potion grow not too far from where I sit. But why do him any favors? Unless... I use it as leverage to get closer to him... Perfect._ You flash you mischievous smile again in the dark seclusion of the pillow nest and relax further into your pillows. Your head snaps up when you see him walk out onto the balcony as well. It seems that Sesshomaru hasn't noticed you yet and he bent to rest his elbows on the balcony railing with a sigh.

"Good evening." Your sweet voice cut through the night air, and you watched as he turned only his head to look at you through the corner of his eye. His golden locking with your aqua. You both still hid you emotions from one another. No trust at all for demons. You smirked knowing that you had caught him off guard. He then turned his body around to face you but still learned against the railing.

"Why are you hiding your scent?" His question surprised you some, simply because you had expected him to leave the balcony.

"I didn't want the servants pestering me." You said before turning your eyes back towards the stars. You saw him repositioning his hair behind his ear out of the corner of your eye and that brought your attention back to him and his mysterious, beautiful ways. Soon your gaze dropped back to where his left arm **should** be. You heard him growl, probably noticing where your eyes have landed.

"Don't be offended, Sesshomaru-sama," You cooed before standing up and leaning on the railing about a foot away from were he was. You both had faces empty of expressions but you softened your feature once again. "I know of a potion that can regenerate your arm. If you would like, I'll make it for you." He sort of froze up and looked at you out of the corner of his eyes.

"How do you know of such a thing?" His voice was monotonous when he asked this of you, but it still stirred up something deep inside of you. You pushed off of the railing and stood facing him.

"It was a part of my training." Your response was short but to the point, like always, even if it was a lie. His eyes traveled down to your exposed skin and you tighten your kimono as a reflex.

"If you want the potion made then let me know." You told him. He grunted and turned back around to look up at the stars. You watched the breeze shift his silver mane of hair briefly before turning back to your room. You made it as far as pulling back the cloth before he was behind you and spoke, "You would do that? For me? Why?"

He almost sounded surprised through his emotional defenses. You smirked and added, "Tomorrow."

He nodded a yes and you went into your room. You released your scent, relishing the fact the he took a deep breath once more, and immediately you sensed the dinner servant you were avoiding. You saw his shadow on the rice paper door before he slid it open without your permission. A tiger demon with black hair and orange eyes stared at you with a ridiculous smirk on his face from the doorway. _Here we go again..._ Upon reflex of seeing Tai, your eyes narrowed down to snake-like slits and a growl rumbles from the back of your throat.

"Hello Syuri." He looked you in the eyes while approaching you.

"Tai," you growled at the annoying demon. "Leave. Now." Your angered voice echoed around the room. He was in your face now and reached out to touch you but you sent a powerful fire blast into his stomach. He was repelled out of the room and into the wall across the hall. You watched in delight, your demon shivering with pleasure inside, as he grasped his burned stomach and drifted into unconsciousness. You regained your composer and fixed your kimono, tying it neatly around your waist. You were resituating a stray hair when you became aware of Sesshomaru in the doorway to the balcony with a fading smile.

"What?" You asked sharply, glaring at him. He stifled a chuckle.

"Nothing." He responded. You smirked and walked over to him. You looked him straight in the eyes and said, "To dinner?" He nodded a 'yes' and you led him down to the dining hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Down the halls and stairs, twisting and turning, you led Sesshomaru to the dining hall. Throughout the walk he strides along beside you.

"Why do you not fear me?" He asked, looking over at you.

"You ask as if you expected me to be afraid. Is that how you want me to act around you? To flea your very shadows like everyone else?" You managed to control your tone of voice this time, for once you asked him what you really wanted to and he didn't even bother to answer you. You finally reached the two sliding doors that concealed the dining room. Sesshomaru must have assumed that this was where the two of you were headed and this was his last chance to reply to you.

"Don't be like everyone else." He said it in such a quiet whisper that even your keen demonic senses could barely catch his words. His way of looking at you made you unsure of yourself. _Don't look at me like that. You're prey for me to corner, so start acting like it!_ You heard the doors part and click into place like the wind sorceress' fan. _And __**I'm**__ supposed to make __**you**__ crumble..._

"My Lady?" The cook's assistant was calling for your attention. You turned around and looked at her. She was the only other Neko Youkai in the palace, beside you and your dad, and you enjoyed simply talking to her. You moved out of Sesshomaru's way so he could sit down and you could linger and talk with your dear friend Tsiku. You smiled at her short hair and fluffy ears.

"Why do you hide your cat side, my Lady? If I may say, you look much prettier with your ears and tail." She questioned you. She was one of the few servants in the palace with the sheer guts to tell you how she feels.

"If it pleases you, Tsiku." You released your tail- hearing it rip a small whole in your kimono- you shivered in delight as you felt your pointed demon ears turn into fluffy cat ears. Both your ears and tails are black but your hair was a pearlescent sliver like your fathers. You smiled down at her beaming face.

"Better?" You asked, tail twitching left to right.

"Better." She murmured while she showed you to your seat like she was supposed to. You were seated across the table from Sesshomaru, who stared at you with a rather odd expression plastered onto his face. You smiled at him, raising an eyebrow, and he instantly went back to normal. You shunned the look from you face and turned your head to you father at the front of the table. Tsiku poured you a cold glass of milk and went back into the kitchen again.

"Hello Father." You spoke in the dingy silence.

"Evening Syuri. I expect you've been behaving yourself." He asked, glancing over at Sesshomaru and then to the kitchen.

"Of course." He was looking right at you again so you flashed a smile and he raised his eyebrow. You heard shuffling in the kitchen and your right ear tilted to better hear before Tsiku came out with two plates full to the brim with sushi and steak. She set them in the middle of the cherry wood table, with the help of her dull-white cat tail. Just as she stepped back to assume her position by the wall another servant you didn't know came out of the kitchen with pork and something that resembled cheese. Then another servant, whom you thought would be in the palace hospital, Tai was to serve the sake. He looks almost fully heal. _Damn..._ You father made small talk about utterly pointless topics with Sesshomaru who, to your surprise, would actually respond to him. You could feel Sesshomaru occasionally glancing at you while Tai was serving you. You never stopped hatefully glaring at Tai while he continuously pilled sushi onto your plate. Ever since your baka father hired him he's been nothing but a leech to you. You couldn't scold him in front of your father since he thought it, too, was improper for a Lady. But luckily for you he seemed to have sensed your anger. Either that or say your red eyes.

"I think she has enough sushi, boy. You can leave her alone now." Tai had no choice but to listen to his Lord and taking his place behind you on the wall. You looked at your father with your now aqua eyes and gave him a look that clearly said 'thank you'. You picked up your chopsticks and began to eat the meal before you while you father continued his small talk with Sesshomaru. He would never discuss business in front of you or at the dinner table. You weren't paying attention to much but your food since the conversation you father insisted on holding bored you greatly. Golden eyes were watching you from across the table while Father droned on. Then suddenly something caught your attention.

"As a matter-of-fact Syuri here has a rather talented voice. You should get her to sing to you sometime." You swallowed in a gulp after Akira said this. Singing, to you, is very personal and you wouldn't even dream of singing to anybody outside of Yoko, Tsiku, and your own dad. And here he is- knowing full well how you feel about this- exploiting your talent, this personal passion, to a man who's practically a stranger. Not to mention a target. You heard Sesshomaru make an 'hmm' noise before he resumed eating. It became later and even more boring as the smell of the sake became stronger each minute. You weren't allowed to drink either when you were entertaining company. Sesshomaru wouldn't take his eyes off of you and it was starting to make you really tense. You had finished eating your food and Tsiku cleared away your plate.

"I'm going up stairs. Good evening gentlemen." You said after you got up. You left the room through the sliding doors and let your mind wander as you went upstairs to take a bath. _He's falling into my hands every minute. Now how do I get him to trust me enough to let his guard down around me? I think he might be as strong as me... I'll take him with me when I go collect herbs tomorrow. The forest is full of foolish demons._ you looked around you and noticed that you were at your bedroom door already. You slid the door open and walked right into your candlelit chambers. The servant from this morning, you chambermaid, had laid out a very skimpy little night gown that happened to be your favorite. You snatched up the silken black material before waltzing off into the steamy bath house. You closed your door behind you with a snap and went across the way to close Sesshomaru's door too. Then you hung a left and went behind the shoji screen and through your nightgown so it hung on the screen before abandoning your kimono in a heap on the floor. Your chambermaid would pick it up in the morning. You tediously walked up to the hot spring bath tub and let the smell of the mist filter out everything else. Soon the easing affects of the mist was joined by the relaxing heat of the clear water. You were standing atop the stone bottom of the shallower end before you dove off it into the deepest part of it. For a cat your rather liked the water and played in its depths for sometime before finally swimming over to the ledge where the bath soaps were laid out. You made sure you did stay out in the cold air too long before going back under water into the warmth it gave you. You looked over at the soaps. _Hmmm... Lavender, rose, or peppermint?_

"Rose." You muttered as you grabbed the crystal container that housed the rose oil soap. You uncorked the bottle, tossing the cork onto the ledge you were standing next to, and began to wash your long pure silver hair. You lathered up your cat ears and then dunked your head in the water and rinsed the sweet scented soap from your satin strands. You poured more soap into your hands and stood up out of the water to wash the rest of you. You were fully lathered and thoroughly freezing before you dove back into the sweltering water. You burst through the surface of the water, swallowing the frigid air and swam over to the shallow end again and just sat there singing 'Through the Iris' until you heard noises from Sesshomaru's room and quickly decided to get dressed. You stepped out of the water with ease and shook yourself of the water like the dog you are and went behind the shoji screen to slip on the nightgown.

You shivered from the chilled air as you walked swiftly to your bedroom door and went in, absentmindedly leaving the door wide open. You walked up to your bed and stripped it of the fluffy down comforter, wrapping it around you for warmth. After all it was in the middle of winter. You pulled the blanket closer to you and headed out onto the balcony and your pillows. The freezing air nipped at every exposed piece of flesh. You stood in front of the pillowed and retracted your ears and tail since they were only freezing in the winter wind and plopped down onto the pillows. You pulled the blanket out from underneath you and recovered yourself so that you wouldn't have to hold the covers closed anymore. You watched the snow fall onto the lands and trees until you couldn't keep yourself from falling into sleep...

You awaken with a start and look around you. You were safely inside your nice warm bed with everything in its place. The sun was rising over the snow capped mountains in the distance. _Who brought me inside? I can't remember anything after the snow...._ You sniffed the air and the only new smells that wafted in was the sweet smell of newly fallen snow and the musky scent of a Inu youkai. _Well that answers my question..._ You went to you closet and ran your finger over the dozens of kimono before stopping at an emerald green one with black trimming and a silver dragon on the back. You rid yourself of the nightgown and redressed yourself in the kimono you picked out. You left you closet and went to sit in front of your vanity. You combed your hair since you didn't last night and stood to tie Samara around your waist. Then you went over to your bed and dropped to your hands and knees so you could search for your herb collecting bag. You felt the material graze your finger tips and pulled it out of its hiding place. You stood on your feet and secured the wolf's skin pouch to you. You dusted yourself off and walked up to Sesshomaru's door, knocking twice. You waited a second or two and an ugly green imp opened the door.

"What is it?" The imp squawked rudely. You narrowed your eyes at it and stated, "I wish to speak with Sesshomaru. Is he up?"

The imp couldn't even answer before Sesshomaru was standing in front of you. He was emotionless but dressed so you assumed that he had been up for a while.

"I'm going to go collect the herbs for your potion. Do you want to go with me?" You spoke almost as monotonously as he did, but he still nodded in a yes.

"Meet me out on the balcony when you're ready." All he did was blink so you turned around and went back into your room and out onto the balcony to wait for him. You didn't have to wait long as Sesshomaru walked out with his swords and armor. He walked up to you and looked down at you. You smiled up at him quickly before jumping backwards off the balcony and landing down on the ground on your own two feet. You turned around and took off running into the forest with Sesshomaru running right beside you. The both of you dodged trees and jumped frozen rivers for quite sometime and after about and hour into the dense forest you come right up to the foot of a great volcanic mountain. You run along the miles of foot hills and finally you cane see the mouth of a cave in the encroaching distance. You slowed down as you drew closer to the frightful looking cave and stopped feet in front of it. Sesshomaru came to a halt next to you and stared into the darkness of the cave. You felt the warm air lapping at your face like the breath of a beast. You looked over at Sesshomaru and then in front of you as you entered the cavern. Once inside the cave you used your powers to create a fire ball that you held up in front of you two to cut though the growing darkness. You began to look for the three herbs you needed and felt that Sesshomaru was growing bored.

"The Junco herb will be the easiest to find. Its leaves are black and gray and it tends to grow on the moist surface of the cave ceiling." You informed him. He made no response. The cave was always warm since it was heated by the magma veins coursing through the mountain. "Then there's the Essence of Life. It grows on a vine and is very rare. It's famous for smelling like death when the pollen gets in your nose." You commented. He was walking behind you now. _Play it up girl! You need him to trust you... to open up to you._ Then you caught sight of the last herb you hadn't mentioned yet. You knelt down to the ground in front of the plant and its heart shaped red leaves and plunked one saying, "And this is the herb of Pain. It's called that because if you eat it raw then you'll melt very slowly from the inside out." You put the leaf into the pouch you brought with you before further explaining, "But if mixed with the Essence of Life than it could grow new limbs. The Junco is just a sleep aid. You definitely wouldn't want to be awake while your arm regenerates." You stood up and sniffed the air for the Junco plant as you walked, staring up at the ceiling. You couldn't have been walking for more than 5 seconds when you caught sight of the black and gray feather-like leaves of the Junco plant. You jump up to the ceiling and yank a fist full of the plant and shoved it into your bag when you landed on your feet. Suddenly you heard a coughing sound and turned around to see Sesshomaru a few feet away with a hanging vine in his face. He angrily pulled the vine down and shouted, "I found the one that smells like death!"

You couldn't help but smile and smother a laugh as he stalks up to you with the vine in his hand.

"Here." He says and thrusts the vine to you. You pluck one leaf and placed it in your bag with the others, making sure to hold it far from your nose.

"Okay, that's all I needed." You said and he threw the smelly plant to the side. He stared down at you emotionlessly with a smelly leaf in his hair. You reached out and pulled the hair out of his silver strands and went to take your hand back but he caught it in his own. You were locked to his eyes and couldn't keep focused on anything else. He leaned towards you, still gazing into your aqua eyes, but you freed your hand and went to the mouth of the cave. _Not yet, Lord of the West. You have to work for __**that**__ kind of attention._ You heard him growl and then his footsteps following you to the light of the cave's mouth. You stopped when the light from the sun was beating down on your head and waited for Sesshomaru. He came up to you and stopped next to you. He was emotionless and didn't even glance your way.

"Ready?" You asked, looking at his profile. He looked at you with a raised eyebrow and you took off running into the forest again. He easily caught up to you so you ran faster. After a minute or so went by he caught up with you again so you launched yourself into your top speed, leaving him in the dust. He didn't catch up with you so you waited for him on you r balcony. After a short while you saw him walking out of the forest and jump up onto the balcony. He kept looking at you with those hardened eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Sesshomaru." He narrowed his eyes at you, and you narrowed your eyes right back at him. "Wait here."

Before he even could reply you went into your room and marched right up to your vanity. You pulled open the drawer and picked out and empty crystal vile. You needed to collect the last ingredient for the potion.


End file.
